Lord of Ireland, Duke of Normandy and
Aquitaine, Earl of Anjou. To his Archbishops, Bishops, Abbots,
Earls, Barons, Justiciaries, Sheriffs, Provosts, Ministers, and all
his Bailiffs and Lieges, Greetings.

Knowye, that we have granted and by our present
Charter have confirmed to our Burgesses of Stafford that the town of
Stafford shall be a free Borough for ever.

And that those Burgesses and their
heirs shall have that Borough in fee-farm from us and our heirs with
Soche and Sache and Toll and Team and Infangenthief, and with all
other liberties and free usages, which they may have been accustomed
to have of old; rendering therefor year by year to our Exchequer by
their own hand, the due and ancient farm rent, to wit, one moiety at
the Easter Audit and the other of that at St. Michael.

We
have also granted to them and by our present Charter have confirmed
that themselves and their heirs shall be quit of tolls, lading dues,
passenger-task, road (or paving) tax, market­ stall toll, and bridge
toll, throughout all our territories, save in the Liberty of the
City of London.

And that they shall make no suit of
the County or Hundred Court respecting their tenures within the
Borough of Stafford, nor shall any of them plead or be impleaded
beyond the Borough of Stafford, respecting any tenement which they
may hold within the Borough of Stafford.

And concerning all their own debts
which may have been contracted at Stafford and pledges made there,
the please shall be held there.

And that they shall not plead or be
impleaded concerning tenements which are in the aforesaid Borough by
Writ of Mort d’ancester, but these shall be conveyed by the law and
custom of the Borough itself.

And that it shall be lawfull for them
to distrain their debtors at Stafford for debts which they have
permitted those persons to contract at Stafford.

And that all those who have been
accustomed to share in their liberties, both within and without the
Borough, shall continue to have all the aforesaid liberties and
quittances with them, so long as they take part with them in aids,
assessments, talliages, and all summonings, as they were accustomed.

We
also grant to them, and have confirmed all other liberties and free
usages which any Free Borough of England has, save in all cases, as
is said before, the Liberty of the City of London.

Whereforewe will and firmly decree that
the aforesaid Borough of Stafford shall be a Free Borough for ever,
and that the Burgesses of that same place shall have and shall hold
the same Borough with all its appurtenances in fee-farm for ever.

And all the aforesaid liberties and
quittances and free usages, well and in peace, freely and quietly,
wholly and honourably: in wood and plain, in highways and bye-ways,
in meadows and pastures, in moors and fens, in waters and mills, in
vivaries and pools, in rivers and fisheries, within the Borough and
without, and in all other places and things and with all other
liberties and free usages pertaining to a Free Borough as is
mentioned above.

And we forbid on pain of our
forfeiture anyone in any of the particulars before mentioned to vex
or molest our aforesaid Burgesses.